Two lively Southeast Asian locales are featured- Singapore and Hong Kong. They were also two former British colonies. Both cities are surely two of the liveliest in Asia. If you had to choose between going to either one of these two places, which would you choose? This is another installment of my "Take Your Pick" series of blog posts, where I encourage my readers to share which is better. So let's do it!
--- Take Your Pick: Singapore or Hong Kong? ---
Which do you think is the cooler city? Visit the hypertext links in the headings to visit each city's official travel website. And, uh... TAKE YOUR PICK!
The city-state of Singapore is a lively and eccentric city, not to mention very beautiful. My racing fans know Singapore for the annual Formula 1 night race around the Marina Bay district of Singapore.
Often seen as the New York City of the Far East, Hong Kong remains one of the world's liveliest cities. I have always seen Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, China as an exciting city. I think it is one of the most futuristic-looking cities. I often get blog hits from Hong Kong from all kinds of districts of Hong Kong. The only tower I'm familiar with is the tall IFC (International Finance Center) building that dominates most of Hong Kong's skyline.
A thing I learned about Hong Kong is that its flag bears a flower called the Bauhinia blakeana. By the way, the full official name for Hong Kong is: Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, China.
So you now know about these two unique locales. Which is better?
--- Singapore or Hong Kong? ---
Both cities are nothing short of spectacular. I would go to both if I were traveling around the world.
Why Singapore?
Singapore has its own unique character. I usually think of the merlion statues shooting water into bays and fountains. They are a spectacular sight. Speaking of spectacular, the city looks amazing at night.
On the blogging side, Singapore is home to two bloggers I follow- missingavenue and Xiaxue. missingavenue is a fashion blog of a young blogger named Melody expressing multiple styles of hers. Xiaxue is a veteran fashion blogger proudly representing Singapore. Her material includes fashion and beauty.
I tend to like Hong Kong as it is a very futuristic city. Just watch when Hong Kong has some of its laser light shows when it's nighttime. Hong Kong is very futuristic.
Hong Kong is the hometown of one of my favorite bloggers, Miss Kwong. This is a fashion blog
Take your pick- Mykonos or Santorini? Many people instantly fall into the appeal of the Greek capital of Athens, but some may not know of the beauty of the South Aegean islands of Mykonos and Santorini. These are two beautiful Greek islands with immense charm. Semi-inspired by my blogging friend Jelena of "Glam and Fab Chameleon," I'd like to offer this "Take Your Pick" on two of Greece's most beautiful islands of the South Aegean region.
A Special Hello...
If any of you are from Greece or are Greek, I'd like to extend a special welcome to you to "John's Blog Space!" I do get a good deal of hits from Greece, so it's nice to welcome you Greeks and Greek-based folks over to my blog. Enjoy your stay. Hope this blog is to your liking.
--- Take Your Pick: Mykonos or Santorini? ---
They are two beautiful Greek islands- Mykonos and Santorini. They both have sapphire or turquoise seas. Angelic white buildings and structures. Both are eccentric party locations with great nightlife scenes. For all intents and purposes, these are islands with heavenly beauty.
--- Why Mykonos? ---
I have been more educated with Mykonos than I have been with Santorini. Mykonos just appealed to me more as I didn't know as much about Santorini than before I prepared this blog post.
Here is a video of Mykonos:
After looking at this video, my love of Mykonos has been verified. It seems like the kind of place an A-List celebrity can hang out at and enjoy life. Ancient and modern come together so nicely with an island like Mykonos.
--- Why Santorini? ---
How about a look at Santorini now? Santorini seems to be a lot less of glitz and glam of Mykonos, while still remaining a fantastic place. It has very gorgeous appeal that seems a lot less modernized than Mykonos. It also seems like you can do a bit more if you're the adventurous type compared to Mykonos.
Or if you want a video reason of "Why Santorini?", this is for you:
I'll tell you what- I now know more about Santorini after preparing this post than I have previously.
--- Which Would I Pick? ---
If I actually did travel, I'd want to visit both islands. Mykonos tends to appeal more to me than Santorini. Of course, that's not to say that Santorini doesn't have any appeal, because Santorini has PLENTY of appeal.
--- A Quick Salute ---
It was Jelena of "Glam and Fab Chameleon" who semi-inspired me to make this post. For you fans of fashion blogs, Jelena is a fashion blogger from Serbia based in Greece. She even designs her own jewelry with a line called Glam Chameleon Jewelry. For as much as she makes her own jewelry, Jelena is a beautiful gem herself, and so is her blog.
Here are various posts of Jelena in Santorini. The link is from a search result for "Santorini" when I visited this blog recently: "Santorini" pictures of Jelena
Jump into Jelena's Glam and Fab world by visiting "Glam and Fab Chameleon" today! You may also visit her blog and "like" her Facebook fan page. More information when you visit her blog. If Jelena herself is reading this, let me welcome you to John's Blog Space and thank you for your continued support of my work!
That concludes another "Take Your Pick" along with another blog post. I thank you for visiting. Which would you favor more- Mykonos or Santorini? Feel free to share your thoughts here. Thank you for reading!
New York City. Los Angeles. You want to go to either city. You've never been to either city. Which one would you want to visit most? Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to a new concept for my blog that I've long wanted to introduce- "Take Your Pick!" This blog post in the Take Your Pick category is one about which city you'd want to go to if given this choice. I'll share my own ideas here in this post.
"Take Your Pick" is a blog label where I invite my readers to choose between one or more items featured. There are certain parameters put into play to keep things interesting. I hope to have this as a method of generating a little debate and getting some more involvement from my readers.
Now, let's begin!
--- Take Your Pick: New York City or Los Angeles? ---
Why care about either location? Both are major cities. Truly international cities. They've somewhat been must-visit cities for almost anyone in the United States including internationally. These are two major cities on two different coasts. But which is better- New York City or Los Angeles?
Important Details:
When making a choice on this topic, here are some parameters to keep things interesting:
• You must have not been to either location. If you have been to both cities, you are free to choose which is better. • You must not be specifically from either location, including suburbs of the respective cities.
So let's do it!
--- Why New York City? ---
There's just something about a place like New York City that really draws people to it. For me, it's tough to argue against New York City- bright lights, tall buildings, unique character... quintessential American city.
Here is New York City in a video:
Here are some random talking points...
• You have a number of locales such as the Empire State Building, Central Park, Rockefeller Center, Brooklyn Bridge, Rucker Park (for my basketball folks), and Madison Square Garden among many other locations. Don't forget about Times Square as well! If you're into fancy shopping, 5th Avenue is for you. Also- don't forget about that beautiful woman on Ellis Island: the Statue of Liberty.
• If you're a sports fan, you have plenty to be proud of- the New York Knicks, the New York Rangers and N.Y. Islanders, the New York Jets and Giants (even though they both play in New Jersey), New York Mets, and of course, the New York Yankees. Football (as in soccer) fans can enjoy the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer who play at the beautiful Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ. The New Jersey Nets will be moving to Brooklyn and will become the Brooklyn Nets starting with the 2012-2013 season of NBA basketball. There is also the New York Liberty of the WNBA. You may even be a fan of St. John's basketball as well for you college basketball fans.
• Your education options are vast in and around New York City- Columbia University, Fordham University, St. John's University, Manhattan College, New York University, City College of New York... all among MANY other institutions.
• Lot of media outlets are in New York City including many different shows that are aired in NYC. Some shows and businesses are mostly located within NYC. Shows like the Bill Cunningham Show and the Jeremy Kyle Show are filmed in New York City. Daytime talk shows like Maury and Jerry Springer have taped in recent years in a studio in Stamford, Connecticut, USA. Stamford is also the world headquarters of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Popular nighttime shows like "The Late Show With David Letterman" and "Saturday Night Live" are shown in New York City. Let's not forget the COUNTLESS movies, TV shoes, video games, and things like that are either based in New York City or inspired by New York City. You gamers are probably playing two recent games that have NYC as its backdrop- "Crysis 2" and "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3."
• New York City is its own proper fashion hotbed. Therefore, you become accustomed to NYC fashion style including the allure of New York Fashion Week. I need only say Fifth Avenue for you fashionable types. Don't forget about New York Fashion Week as well if you are a fashion lover. Also, New York City is the home grounds for two of the most popular fashion blogs- Fashion by He and The Sartorialist.
• New York is great for eating out. The only one I know of, unfortunately, is Katz's Delicatessen. There was once a show called "24 Hour Restaurant Battle" (which I blogged about here on John's Blog Space) where people wanting to make their own restaurant had to prepare everything from food to furnishings to make their own restaurant. All of the action from this reality show was in New York City.
New York City just has so much to offer. And if you're from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, you won't feel too far away from Europe or Africa.
--- Why Los Angeles? ---
It seems like everybody is from California or living in California, especially Southern California; and almost especially the Los Angeles area. Come on now- Torrance, Santa Monica, Venice Beach, Long Beach, Beverly Hills, Riverside, Azusa, Studio City... you name it. Don't forget about the big "Hollywood" sign in case you forget where the heck you are. I would need an entire blog (not just a single post) to discuss the many movies, TV shows, and all that take place in Los Angeles. I mean- there are SO many movies and such based in Los Angeles, you almost wonder if everybody and everything is in Los Angeles.
This is a video showcasing Los Angeles:
• Why Los Angeles? Obvious reasons- lots of star power. Rodeo Drive. The USCal Trojans and UCLA Bruins rivalry. If you're into sports, you love you some Lakers basketball (and the Clippers) and some Dodgers baseball. You may even be fond of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Also, who doesn't love being among the stars and celebrities that call L.A. home? Who doesn't love being in the movie-making industry?
• Care to learn in Los Angeles? Many institutions are within reach- the University of Southern California, the University of California-Los Angeles (better known as UCLA, of course), Loyola Marymount University, California State University-Los Angeles... all among many others.
• One instantly feels star power in Los Angeles, especially knowing you are within distance of various studios and media outlets. Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios, 20th Century Fox, Warner Brothers... I can go on.
• Los Angeles has a number of famous eateries and chains. Among others, Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles and In-N-Out Burger come to mind immediately to me.
I talked about NYC and not being far from Europe and Africa. With Los Angeles, you feel closer to home, if home to you is Asia or Australia.
--- Which Would I Choose? ---
I've never been outside of Texas as of this post, but would I choose New York City or Los Angeles?
Through my childhood, I've always seemed to want to visit New York City more than I do Los Angeles. Both cities are surely worth visiting. I just seemed always more enamored with New York City than I do Los Angeles. The city is truly classic to me. I would absolutely enjoy seeing the New York City skyline from across the Hudson River at night.
This is going to sound funny- I would feel more lost in Los Angeles than I would in New York City. I honestly do wish I knew more about Los Angeles and surrounding areas than what I do know. I would probably most want to visit Rodeo Drive and all the various shops and such. I may even be interested in seeing Watts and the Watts Towers.
Most of all- I have one big fear about being on the West Coast (or even Japan)- fear of being in an earthquake. That kind of is a deterrent for me being around the Ring of Fire. It's also why I'm a bit fearful of going in another California city I love- San Francisco.
So I would most want to visit New York City if I had to choose between New York City and Los Angeles.
I would like to specially thank the YouTube channel, "vidatown" for allowing their videos to be embedded. So that's the concept of "Take Your Pick." Which would you choose- New York City or Los Angeles? Thank you for reading! Get social with me! Here's how:
I usually do not discuss certain things that I am not comfortable discussing in my blog. One of those is on alcoholic beverages. I do want to open the floor a bit to talk about wine. I don't drink alcoholic beverages. If was to admit to something I would drink, however, it would be wine. I am not any kind of expert on any alcoholic beverage of any kind. Therefore, do not expect any professional analysis or commentary on wine from me. This blog entry is about wine. I'm about ready to pop the cork on another blog post of mine!
BEFORE I BEGIN...
Just so you know... I am honestly concerned doing a blog post on a topic like this. "Anything and everything that crosses my mind" is what I live by in picking topics for my blog. Then too, I limited some of the material in my go-go dancing blog entry (for example) because most of it wasn't suitable for a world audience. Despite my concerns, I must keep blogging and providing many topics for people to read about.
Because this blog post concerns a certain topic that is not suitable for all audiences (alcoholic beverages), I will provide a Jump Break to keep my blog as world-friendly as possible. You are reading at your own risk if you are not of legal age. Please click "Read More" if you are not reading this full blog post and are of legal age.
--- Wine in General ---
I've had only two kinds of wine- white wine (my favorite) and red wine. One time, my brother took me to an Indian cuisine restaurant. We had red wine with the food we had. My brother told me to swish around the red wine in my mouth to get rid of some of the lingering taste from the food.
There is just something to wine that makes it attractive to drink. Wine is a classy beverage with a sweet taste. I am used to white wine for the few times I've had wine before.
Health Benefits of Wine.
Can an alcoholic beverage like wine offer health benefits? In moderation, wine can actually help to reduce tension and anxiety. Moderation in drinking red wine regularly can lead to lower risk of coronary disease and certain cancers. Wine can help the elderly retain their cognitive functions. Light to moderate wine consumption also lowers the risk of peptic ulcers. The main factor in wine's health benefits are mostly upon healthy people who are regular drinkers of wine.
So when considering wine and health, drink wine regularly and in moderation. To learn more about the health benefits of wine, please visit my source for this portion at "Wine and Health" at www.winepros.org.
Making Your Own Wine.
I wouldn't think of making my own wine if I ever wanted to consider making wine. If you want to make your own wine, one attractive way to do so in the United States is to take part in Fresno State Winery. You can actually learn how to make your own wine by attending Fresno State and getting into their winery program. Of course, northern California is often referred to as Wine Country.
--- Wines of the World ---
Time to go on a world tour of wine. This is mostly a digest of places that make wine rather than specific brands of wine. I will not mention any specific wine makers in this blog post. If anything, I will just mention one maker and move on. All material is provided for educational purposes.
American Wine.
The biggest concentration of wine in the United States is mostly in northern California. In fact, I mentioned you could enroll at Fresno State University to take part in the Fresno State Winery. One of the most popular locations for wine making in NorCal is Napa Valley. Many fresh grapes and such are grown in northern California to make such savory wines. In fact, the states of California, Oregon, and Washington are some of the biggest in producing wine. Only the state of New York is the only non-West Coast state famous for its wines.
Chilean Wine.
Chile has a vast variety of vineyards. According to a YouTube video I saw released in 2009, Chile has been seen as a victim of its own success with overproduction of grapes.
Argentinian Wine.
The Argentinians are somewhat new to the wine industry. They hope to be one of the premier countries for wine making. The biggest winery in Argentina is Trapiche Winery with the Malbec one being their most popular wine. Perhaps the Napa Valley of Argentina is Mendoza, Argentina.
French Wine.
Bordeaux, France is often considered the Wine Capital of the World. There are many regions across France that are great wine-producing regions besides the western France city of Bordeaux. Other wine regions in France besides Bordeaux include the following: Alsace, Burgundy, Champagne, Côtes du Rhône, Languedoc-Roussillon, Loire Valley, Provence, Corsica, and South West.
Italian Wine.
The only other country I know best for wine is Italy. Even if you haven't been to an Olive Garden restaurant, you at least have to know that Italy loves their wine about as much as the French do. Italy is obviously as important a country in the wine industry as France (or any other big market wine nation). The only one that immediately comes to mind for me is Tuscany (since I mentioned Olive Garden).
Spanish Wine.
I honestly know very little about Spain being a wine industry capital. Spain is a beautiful country with many beautiful cities. I just know France and Italy better in wine than I do Spain. Some of Spain's regions for wine includes (but is not limited to) the autonomous community of Andalusia, La Rioja, Ribera del Duero, and Catalonia among many others.
German Wine.
Honestly, I know Germany better for beer than wine. Germany has 13 wine-making regions. Riesling is one of their most popular wines.
South African Wine.
It is generally southwestern South Africa that is the biggest wine maker not only in South Africa, but Africa in general. The Western Cape is responsible for most of the wine making and grape growing in South Africa. There are six major regions contributing to the production of wine in South Africa: Klein Karoo, Breede River Valley, Overberg, Cape Point, Coastal Region, and the Olifants River Valley.
Japanese Wine.
I only know Japan for sake as far as wine is concerned. Rice and water are the main ingredients of sake. Two of the largest regions for wine in Japan are Hokkaido and Yamanashi Prefecture. Yamanashi Prefecture grows its own grapes. Hyogo Prefecture (where Kobe is) has lots of independent wineries. Of Japan's prefectures, and including Hokkaido and Yamanashi Prefectures, about eleven Prefectures in Japan have wineries.
Australian Wine.
Believe it or not, Australia is the fourth-largest producer of wine in the world. One of the largest wineries in Australia is Yalumba. One of Australia's largest regions for wine is the Barossa Valley. Of all Australian States, the majority of all wine regions are either in New South Wales (Riverina in NSW is the largest-size region) or in Victoria. There are no wine regions (or no significant ones to my knowledge) in Northern Territory or Tasmania.
New Zealand Wine.
The largest producer of wine in the South Pacific (excluding Australia) is New Zealand. There are about nine wine regions in New Zealand; five of them on the north island and four on the south island. One of their finest wines is New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Pinot Noir is also popular in New Zealand.
No matter where in the world you are, you can be assured that you'll have some wine to enjoy from various countries.
That concludes this blog post for the most part. If you want to learn more about various wines around the world, I can help you with some websites. Feel free to visit these links to learn more about certain varieties of wine worldwide. This section does not necessarily contain actual wineries themselves. Use these links to find wineries worldwide or to learn more about wines of various nations. I may add more links in future edits to keep this blog post fresh.
REMEMBER: You must be of legal age to view or interact with most of these sites.
--- Wine Links and Resources Online ---
IMPORTANT NOTE: You must be at least 18 years of age to view most of these links.
--- Wines of the World: General and Tours --- These are non-regional sites you can use to learn more about wine, shop for wine online, and other things.
* the Wine Web - find wines from around the world from major wine producing nations. * Wine-Searcher.com - search the Internet for various wines. * Internet Wine Guide - overwhelming amount of wine resources online in one site. * Lisa Shea's WineIntro - all the basics on wine and champagne with other resources are available here.
Ibiza (or Eivissa) represents two things to most people- a Summer party place for the electronic dance music set or a beautiful island that is vastly underrated as a tourism destination. Many people know Ibiza for the wild nightlife and the lovely electronica and electronic dance music that bumps from the clubs. Ibiza is about 79 kilometers (or about 48.089 miles) south of the lovely Spanish city of Valencia. In "Test Drive Unlimited 2," you will have the chance to drive on the roads of Ibiza. And yes, there is a car from SEAT called the Ibiza. So this Balearic Island is either a party destination, a beautiful island that most people don't realize is there away from the nightlife, or both. If you've read some of my past blog posts, Ibiza is the birthplace of one of my Fictional Characters, Marisol Castillo. The nightlife aspect of Ibiza is a big part of me coming up with this character. This blog post will try to be my contribution to Ibiza as a party destination and as an island paradise.
Ibiza is either Ibiza or Eivissa (its Catalan name). I will almost exclusively use "Ibiza" to avoid confusion. THIS is Ibiza:
^ from: allposters.com - Welcome to Ibiza- both a beautiful island and a party destination.
THIS... is also Ibiza:
^ from: www.djsets.co.uk - Rules: arrive, party your butt off, leave. :) With many popular clubs in Ibiza, it's tough to not find a good club to enjoy partying the night away to pulsating electronica and electronic dance music.
LATEST UPDATE(S)/REVISION(S):
MAR 14 2012 - updated overall to meet my newer template's layout.
WARNING: Some material in this blog post may not be suitable for all audiences and may not be safe for work. So view this blog post at your own risk.
PERSONAL NOTE: Thanks to all of you for keeping this blog post relevant! I hope you enjoy this post as much as I have enjoyed making it for all of you.
--- Ibiza: Party Destination ---
^ from: (YouTube) - Welcome to Ibiza- dance to the music! :)
Ibiza is a small island that is big in the realm of nightlife. I somewhat apologize for making this parallel, but Ibiza to fans and performers of electronica and electronic dance music is like Woodstock to rock fans. There are not very many places in the world that match or exceed the character and charm Ibiza provides. How can a lovely island also be such a happening party place?
What Defines Ibiza and Its Music?
I think Ibiza is defined by tropical-style, Latin-style music. It is music that is nicely defined more by mellow Summer tunes rather than any hard-hitting progressive trance songs. There are even Ibiza chill sessions devoted to great chill and downtempo music. Since Ibiza is best known as a Summer party place with a very vast and beachy lifestyle, I think the music which defines Ibiza has to fit this mold properly to be true to Ibiza. That even includes any chill-style Ibiza songs. If you check out the videos in this blog post regarding Ibiza's music, you'll get somewhat a good indication as to the style of music that defines Ibiza in the realm of electronica and electronic dance music.
--- Ibiza: Club Scene ---
The biggest industry in Ibiza is the tourism industry as well as the Summer party scene. Ibiza is a small island that is big in parties. It is almost seen as a holy land for fans of electronica and electronic dance music. Between about May through September (or between June through October), is the Summer season of clubbing in Ibiza. Most of these clubs are closed when it's cold weather times. They usually don't open up again until Spring the following year. This is where the popular Ibiza clubs have their usual circuit of hot parties with world-class DJs and artists supplying hot music to the masses in attendance. Among the many different clubs, there are at least four that are the most popular- Space, Pacha, Amnesia, and Privilege. One thing that is famous at Ibiza clubs are the foam parties, where foam is shot out of these cannons and soaking the crowd in foam. There are also various dancing acts and vastly creative dancers making the Ibiza experience even more over-the-top.
It is safe to say that Ibiza provides perhaps THE biggest club experience in the world. In fact, you can call Ibiza as clubbing paradise. You must be at least 18 years old to enjoy the clubbing experience in Ibiza. It is said that August is the most stressing time to try to party in Ibiza since the queues are so long. For more tips on how to survive the Ibiza clubbing scene, all you need to know can be found by visiting "Tips and tricks on how to survive an Ibiza clubbing holiday!"
Here is a piece on four of the most popular clubs in Ibiza. Visit the official web sites of these by clicking on their headings.
(NOTE: Some or most information in this section taken from Wikipedia)
Space Ibiza is an outdoor terrace club best known for their "We Love Sundays" sessions that last between 4:30 PM Sunday and go all the way into 6:00 AM Monday. Do the math- that's about 13.5 hours of partying! The Summer season of music here lasts for 16 weeks. The action runs between late May through early or middle September. When it's not the Summer season of music, the club is pretty much closed until at least next Spring. So if you want to enjoy Space Ibiza, better enjoy it while during the Summer season!
IN CASE YOU'RE WONDERING... ...the 2011 Summer season at Space Ibiza starts on May 29! Visit www.spaceibiza.com for more information.
^ from: (YouTube) - a promotional video of Pacha Ibiza from 2007.
The Pacha club franchise is international, and one of the biggest of the franchise is Pacha Ibiza. In fact, the Pacha Group is headquartered in Ibiza. The Pacha logo is two cherries attached to each other. There are over 20 different Pacha clubs internationally, seven of which in Spain. Pacha Ibiza is the largest and most popular of the Pacha clubs. Of the Pacha clubs, only one is in the United States- Pacha New York.
Having Amnesia can a good thing, especially if you call Amnesia Ibiza your sanctuary. The World's Best Global Club celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2010. I don't know as much about Amnesia Ibiza as I would like to. However, you will get a mostly general idea of Amnesia if you visit the website to this heading. You can enjoy streaming electronic dance music from Amnesia if you visit the site above. Check for listening times.
Not to be outdone on the Ibiza club circuit is Privilege. It began life as a restaurant called Ku in the 1970s. This is the world's largest nightclub according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Imagine a nightclub that can pack over 10,000 people! You have to imagine all 10K of them are wanting to hear some great music. It used to be home to the Manumission event, which has since moved to Amnesia after some disputes between the Manumission organizers and the Privilege owner.
That is the Ibiza electronica and electronic dance music fans know. In the next section... the Ibiza you MAY NOT know about.
You have reached the Jump Break of this post. Please click on "Read More" to read the rest of this blog post as well as visit some more links to expand your Ibiza reading experience. Disregard this line if you are reading the full blog post.
^ from: - Ibiza is often seen as misrepresented for what it brings away from the party lifestyle.
While many know Ibiza for its club life, many others don't know of its personality away from the club scene. I will provide only limited insight of Ibiza when the name of the game isn't partying or clubbing. Do NOT look for this section to be a complete and thorough guide on Ibiza. This is merely just a digest of information online.
VIDEO: A Basic Look at Ibiza.
I think this video is a HUGE indication of what Ibiza is REALLY like away from the party scene. I could probably explain in deeper detail more of what I read online about Ibiza, but these videos tell it much better than I ever can. So please have a look at these videos:
VIDEO: Agrotourism in Ibiza.
Family-Friendly Ibiza.
It must be tough trying to push for a family-friendly Ibiza when the biggest industry in Ibiza is the Summer club scene. Ibiza, however, can be a family-friendly place away from the club scene. There are many places to visit and stay at for family-friendly (and even pet-friendly) fun. The best site I can recommend to where you can find all about Ibiza's family-friendly atmosphere is by visiting Family Holidays in Ibiza on Ibiza Spotlight.
Gastronomy of Ibiza.
Various Balearic dishes compliment the range of foods and drinks of Ibiza. Seafood makes up the vast majority of Balearic foods in Ibiza, and wine (along with more traditional liquor) is the most prevalent beverage in Ibiza. A popular Ibiza dish is that of fish with rice. Some of the different dishes include burrida de ratjada and bullit. If you don't particularly fancy Balearic cuisine, there are always British and German foods for you to enjoy in Ibiza.
With this insight in mind, you now know that Ibiza is more than just a party destination. I've read that Ibiza's waters are among the cleanest among Mediterranean Islands. So these beaches and waters are about as clean as most South Pacific island nations that I've highlighted on in past blog posts regarding the South Pacific. Why do more people know it better for a party atmosphere rather than as a tourist destination? Well, if you liken this as a balancing scale, then the heavier weights would be on the side of Ibiza as a party place rather than as a tourist destination. Even in my blog post regarding what I love about Spain, I considered Ibiza to be an absolutely lovely place. Ibiza (especially Ibiza Town) is very lovely with its Old World beauty. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999 for its Biodiversity and Culture. Learn more about Ibiza as a UNESCO World Heritage Site by visiting the UNESCO World Heritage site on Ibiza.
Enjoy Ibiza for the partying, but never second guess Ibiza's beauty away from the partying scene.
--- New Appreciation for Ibiza ---
By playing "Test Drive Unlimited 2" on my PlayStation 3, I have enhanced appreciation for the beauty of Ibiza. The country drive as well as the more modern parts of Ibiza (including Ibiza Town) are all lovely locales. Test Drive Unlimited 2 even features the Privilege and Pacha clubs. Too bad you can't go to them, though. :(
So if you play "Test Drive Unlimited 2," be sure to play it to get a feel for what the roads of Ibiza. Also, be sure to check me out [in the PS3 version of] TDU2.
Now you know about Ibiza from two perspectives. Want more Ibiza? These links may provide you some company... :)
...because you don't have to reside in Ibiza to show love for Ibiza! :) These are various other links related to music of Ibiza or more information about Ibiza itself. Learn more about Ibiza or set up a travel package for Ibiza
If you're interested in music on Amazon influenced by Ibiza, please use this widget to find some good Ibiza music. Consider this my gift to you for reading the full blog post and (hopefully) enjoying my blog post on Ibiza. Feel free to find some great music with this widget. The search term is automatically set to "Ibiza" so you can find some Ibiza music on Amazon. I would appreciate your support if you do find something you like with this widget, so thanks for reading!
On October 14, 2010; my family and I attended TurkishFest 2010 at Jones Plaza here in Houston. I initially intended to release some pictures of the event here in my blog and on Facebook that night or a day after. However, I never did... until now. What you are about to see is a photo essay of my experience at TurkishFest 2010. The pictures are all my own (meaning I am not relying on other pictures from other websites to dictate and describe my experience.
So join me as I share with you a pictorial view of my TurkishFest 2010 experience! By the way, this is my first attempt at doing a photo essay for a blog post.
--- TurkishFest 2010: A Photo Essay ---
All images are my own. It was a beautifully clear day, but very much on the humid side. It was still warm though mid-October usually means cooler weather is on the way. It was the first time I remember going to Jones Plaza.
Setting the Mood.
I get a lot of blog hits from Turkey, so I am semi-familiar with Turkey. I've heard (and even recited) its instrumental national anthem. I've heard of cities such as Istanbul (one of Houston's Sister Cities, Ankara, and Izmir among others. I am a fan of Istanbul Park, home of the Formula 1 Turkish Grand Prix. But I don't know much else about Turkey. That's why we have events such as TurkishFest. It is a chance to become introduced to another culture and its entertainment.
The stage for TurkishFest features two Turkish flags as there were a number of different performances. At one point, my camcorder (Insignia NS-DV1080P) acted funny, and so I had to take out the rechargeable battery and put it back in. It worked perfectly since.
One of the performances on stage was a rather soothing Turkish melody. Once in the show, a boy as young as about 11 (or maybe 7) was playing a wonderful stringed piece.
I don't know a single Turkish word, so someone will have to help me translate the text in the center of this image.
As I mentioned before, it is always great to be part of cultural events such as TurkishFest. It gives you a chance to become introduced and indulged to the culture of another country in a fun way.
As the late afternoon delved into evening, the occasion was still as hot as the weather that day.
This guy in the center and this girl (wearing the T-shirt that has a big heart and the Turkish flag on it were the two announcers for the occasion. A lot of people were probably just minding their business as they continually talked to the crowd.
I don't exactly remember this, but the lady was singing with a nice drum deal in the background.
Wearing Turkey.
In addition to listening to music and seeing various performances, I've found a fair share of images highlighting on some of the ways visitors shown some love for Turkey and dressed for the occasion. The most common accessories I've seen (but was unable to take pictures of) were girls wearing scarves around their waists with coins on them. I did, however, find a lot of red and white. Here is a look at some of the various outfits of people showing some Turkish love...
One such way to dress for the occasion is to show some love for the Turkish capital of Istanbul. I saw another black shirt with Istanbul on it worn by a woman, but I was unable to snap a good image.
This was one of many different red shirts I saw at Turkish fest. These shirts reflect the red and white as well as the crescent and star that makes up Turkey's flag.
At one point, I did notice this white polo shirt with the teal collar. This is reminiscent of Turkey's football (as in soccer) uniform.
Under a cute casual blouse, this woman wears a lovely Turkey shirt underneath.
Finally, here is a young girl sporting an elbow-sleeve Turkey T-shirt.
TurkishFest: What I Couldn't Show You.
The majority of this blog post relates to images that I've taken from the show. I got to meet my first person from Tukey. He was a software engineer who is from Istanbul but lives in San Antonio for just over a decade. He wondered about my Insignia camcorder. I couldn't pronounce or spell his name, but he was very friendly. He even asked if Facebook or Twitter is the most popular social media. I told him that it depends. If I had to choose, I'd say Facebook. If he's out there reading this, I say hello to you!
Even though it's TurkishFest, I saw a flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina at one of the tents providing food. I had a pretty delicious gyro or pita from one of the tents.
My little stepbrother was entertained at the thought of Turkish coffee because he thought it had turkey in it. But... it's regular Turkish coffee. :-)
--- If Any Turkish Folk are Reading This... ---
I want to say hello to all of you from Turkey. I get a fair share of blog hits from Turkey, so I might as well have the opportunity to say hello to all of you from Turkey and of Turkish decent. I always welcome an international audience in all of my work. It is the only way I can feel totally satisfied that my work is branching out and is being respected by a global audience. There is still a whole lot I wish I knew about Turkey, but I do know I get a lot of blog hits from Turkey.
So to all of my Turkish readers, let me say "merhaba salem!" And also (translation provided by Google Translate): "Merhaba hepiniz, ve benim blog okuma için teşekkür ederiz!" (original text: "Hello to all of you, and thanks for reading my blog!")
So I hope you (and you non-Turkish) folk enjoyed my photo essay of TurkishFest 2010! To learn more about TurkishFest here in Houston or to see other resources, here are some links for you to check out:
(NOTE: The "no picture" experiment isn't working. This blog post will be edited to include pictures of each given location. Of course, proper credit for each image will be added for the ones I do use.)
A way I'd like to repay my European readers is to make notion of some of my favorite locales in Europe. Europe is an important market for me as a blogger and as a YouTube channel. So many people from Europe view my content in addition to my fellow American readers. This is a chance for me to share some of my favorite European locations. Not necessarily cities, but various places including entire countries. This is kind of my chance to shout out to certain locations. This time, I won't try to rely on pictures to prove points. Not having a lot of pictures will make this blog post flat, but it's less work for me to share main points.
--- Favorite European Cities and Locations ---
I'll be doing this a bit differently. I'll mostly share the location and why I love it without really needing to post a picture (though pictures help). Please note that this is not necessarily about cities. It can be about certain locations, certain parts of Europe, certain countries in general, and more.
NOTE: Click on the headings of any of the featured locations to visit either their official website or some travel site linking you to these locations. Be warned that not all sites are available in English.
WHY: Do I NEED a reason? Just look at the lovely surroundings and structures of London. It is one of my favorite cities in Europe. You have many reasons to fall in love with London- Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, and stuff like that.
WHY: Besides London, Manchester would be perhaps the only other city in England I'd want to visit. Of course, you know the Manchester folk love Manchester United football (and Manchester City, but Man U fans outweigh Manchester City)
WHY: The only thing I know about Cardiff is that it the birthplace of Charlotte Church. It is easily my favorite city in Wales. I do wish I knew more about Cardiff. It's the only other Welsh city I know of besides Swansea.
WHY: It's hard to ignore or downplay the beauty of a city like Paris. It's been one of my favorite places in the world for the longest, and it is also a place I'd love to visit if I were actually travelling. Paris just exudes so much charm and character to be ignored. I sometimes imagine what it would be like to be on the top floor of the Eiffel Tower. I'd feel like I was atop the world.
WHY: Other than the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco, Monte Carlo is a place you just instantly fall in love with. The only other thing I know about Monaco (besides Monte Carlo) is that there is a beautiful football (as in what us Americans call soccer) stadium called Stade Louis II.
WHY: ¡Viva España!. There are many places in Spain that I love. You can read about all of them in my blog entry: What I Love About Spain. There's just so much to love about Spain- Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Salamanca, Toledo, Ibiza... you go from there. I tend to love Spanish architecture the most.
WHY: Besides Berlin, Cologne is my favorite city in Germany. A lot of the various structures and city locales in Germany are simply stunning. Almost as beautiful as Paris.
WHY: While I don't know as much as I would like to about Amsterdam, this city is certainly beautiful. It is undeniably a great looking city. It's also infamously known for its Red Light District.
WHY: Switzerland is nothing short of beautiful. Some of my favorite locations in Switzerland include Geneva, Lucerne, Zurich, Bern, and Grindelwald. Switzerland is just nothing short of breathtaking.
WHY: The cosmopolitan city of Milan is just an amazing place. I know it as a fashion capital as well as not being far from the lovely Autodromo Nazionale Monza. The Piazza del Duomo is spectacular.
WHY: Florence is absolutely charming. All the red roof buildings and Old World architecture is nothing short of amazing. It is a truly beautiful place. The Florence Cathedral stands out most to me as far as structures in Florence are concerned.
WHY: Do as the Romans do. This is a place that has a little of everything. You can immerse yourself in the ancient history of Rome. You can probably envision what the first battles were like at the Colosseum. You can toss a few coins into the Trevi Fountain. According to legend, if you toss two coins into the Trevi Fountain, you will one day return to Rome. Or, you can check out some of the more modern stuff in Rome. Either way, it's a spectacular place.
WHY: Malta is a place I've slowly and steadily wanted to learn more about. As my blog kept getting blog hits from Malta, I got to learn about some of the different cities of Malta. The Old World charm of Malta makes it a beautiful location. Just about every picture I see of Malta is simply sensational. Totally breathtaking and captivating Malta is. I am still wanting to learn more about Malta. But for what I do know, it is a spectacular island nation.
WHY: Croatia is a beautiful country, and its beautiful capital is Zagreb. From a number of angles, Zagreb is just a beautiful city. I even have a few friends online from Zagreb. It's a lovely place.
WHY: Besides Rome, Athens is another classic locale full of history. You can't fault the history and the charm of a place like Athens. In fact, playing "The Battle of Olympus" back on the NES exposed me to Greek Mythology and all of Greece. It was a great game. As for Athens itself, you have the same sense of immersion here as you do with Rome.
WHY: Blue waters, lovely buildings, and an amazing setting all make Mykonos a truly beautiful place. It's my favorite location in Greece besides Athens.
WHY: As I started following my international blog viewers, I got to learn more about Slovakia. Growing up, I've always remembered Czechoslovakia. I still have a lot more to learn more about Slovakia, but if there's one thing I know about Slovakia, it's that Bratislava is a lovely city (and it's also the capital of Slovakia).
WHY: Vienna is well known for music. No song more beautiful could ever be composed than the creation of Vienna. It is a beautiful city with lots of history as well as musical history. Even one Austrian native named Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (you might have heard of him before) resided in Vienna apart from his Salzburg home.
WHY: I was preparing this blog entry and felt ashamed I forgot to mention Budapest. Budapest is one of the loveliest cities in the world, let alone one of Europe's loveliest.
WHY: The capital of Lithuania is a beautiful place and the only city I really know of in Lithuania. There are beautiful buildings, both old and modern in this city. It's a fantastic place.
WHY: I know very little about Latvia. The pictures I've seen of Riga are very nice. It is a lovely city from what I've seen. I wanted to pay respect to people from Riga who visit my blog! :)
WHY: Estonia is one of my most recent fascinating places anywhere in the world. My favorite city in Estonia is Tallinn, the capital. Tallinn is a lovely place from what I've seen in pictures. I even think Estonia has a lovely national anthem from the instrumental hymn I've heard of Estonia. It is a lovely place, as is the rest of Estonia.
I don't really know of anyone from Estonia, except for a fashion blog and a race car driver. The only famous Estonian I know of is World Rally Championship racer, Markko Martin. The Estonian fashion blog I follow here on Blogger/Blogspot from an Estonian teenage girl named Tuuli Jürgenson, who is the creator of a blog called Fallie's Scrapbook. She has been featured in publications such as Teen Vogue. You can read more about the Estonian in this Teen Vogue interview.
WHY: Helsinki is perhaps the city I immediately think of when it comes to Finland. It is a lovely city. I also kind of know Helsinki for Helsinki Polytechnic Stadia as part of the Formula SAE competition.
WHY: Iceland's capital is the ONLY city I know in Iceland. In addition, some of the structures there are totally beautiful. The one that stands out to me is the Church of Hallgrimur in Reykjavik.
WHY: It's tough not to find something to love about a classic city like Moscow. Basil's Cathedral and The Kremlin are two lovely structures that instantly jump out at me. Moscow is just a beautiful place. Moscow will even play host to a future Formula 1 Grand Prix race.
WHY: The only city in the Democratic Republic of Georgia that I know of is its capital city of Tbilisi. This is a lovely city from what I've seen in pictures as well as in videos. Sameba Cathedral is perhaps my favorite structure in the [Republic of] Georgian capital. The city itself is as modern as almost any other major European city (like London or Paris, for example).
Baku, Azerbaijan.
WHY: A Sister City of Houston, Baku is really a lovely city. The country of Azerbaijan is considered part of the European continent. It is the southeasternmost country in Europe, and Baku is a beautiful place. Its urban beauty will captivate you about as much as any other major European city.
--- Favorite European Cities and Locations: Honorable Mention ---
Here are some honorable mentions I'd like to make in regards to favorite European locations. Again, click on the headings to visit official websites or tourism sites for each location (if available):
Turku, Finland.
WHY: I'm doing this in honor of some friends on Facebook. Turku is somehow seen in Finland much like Houston here in the United States- underrated. I think Turku is a very nice-looking city from what I've seen.
WHY: I'm paying respect to my blogging friend, Cindy, better known as Glamour Bbey. Antwerp is a lovely city. As lovely as Glamour Bbey. (NOTE: The website to this heading was the best one I could find for this city. I'm deeply sorry.)
Boden, Sweden.
WHY: A loyal mate of mine online hails from Northern Sweden, so it's safe to say that while it's cold up there, he's one of the coolest people I've ever come across online. So I'm showing support for Boden and the Boden Municipality here.
WHY: Gibraltar is a majestic location. Just the sight of the Rock of Gibraltar is mystifying. Both the territory and the Rock of Gibraltar are outstanding.
Istanbul, Turkey.
The reason why I didn't include Istanbul initially was because this was about European cities. Istanbul, though, spans both Europe and Asia. So I pay Honorable Mention here though I love Istanbul.
--- If You're From Any of the Mentioned Locations... ---
I'm just here to show some love for all of you from Europe! :-) I love all of my readers the world over, but I'm just paying some tribute to my European readers for this blog post. Feel free to post a shout out to me if I mentioned your hometown or country here!
Please let me know of any official websites or tourism sites I can use to edit this blog entry in the future to better service my readers. Contact me directly if there are any better sites I can link my readers to in making this blog entry better.
The South Pacific features many wonderful locations. These are island paradises that are exotic and remote from most of the rest of the world. This blog entry features locations I would want to visit if I actually wanted to travel to the South Pacific. I'll even share what I think about these various locations.
BLOG NOTE: This blog entry is one topic that comprises a new blog label. The new label is called "Pacific and Oceania," and it is a series of blog entries devoted entirely to the Pacific Islands, Pacific Islanders, and more. This is a gift for all of my viewers across the South Pacific whom have visited my blog.
--- Where I Would Want to Travel to if in the South Pacific ---
This is the main point of the blog post. The cities and locations featured are in no particular order. So just because you see one place featured first doesn't mean I most want to visit that place first. Each location is noted by headings. If you see a hypertext link, you can click on that link to visit the location's official website (or a related site). Thank you for visiting and reading!
QUICK NOTE: The places mentioned in this blog entry pertain to places I would want to visit in the South Pacific. However, I will not mention Australia and New Zealand as I have made a blog post long ago about my favorite Australasian cities. You can read "My Favorite Australasian Cities" to learn about my favorite cities mostly in Australia and New Zealand. Please enjoy this blog entry on other South Pacific locations I'd love to visit if I traveled there! :-)
--- French Polynesia --- Venues within French Polynesia that I would want to visit if traveling...
^ from: eclipsetours.com - a lovely view of Tahiti's capital city of Papeete from a hotel.
Unfortunately, all I know about French Polynesia is Tahiti, and the only city I know in French Polynesia is the Tahitian capital of Papeete (or Pape'ete).
--- Fiji --- I get blog hits sometimes from Fiji. Allow me to share certain locations I like in Fiji.
^ from: nomad4ever.com - a street in Suva, Fiji. Suva is the capital of Fiji. It is also home to where the Fijian national rugby team plays their rugby football.
^ from: murugan.org - the Sri Siva Subramaniya temple in Nadi.
On the northwestern end of Fiji is Nadi. Nadi is where Fiji's international airport (Nadi International Airport) is located. So considering this, Nadi is an important city in bringing international visitors to beautiful Fiji. This is really all I know about Nadi. Considering this, Nadi is a serious locale in providing tourism to Fiji.
--- Cook Islands --- I must admit... ever since doing blog entries on the South Pacific, I've become a fan of the Cook Islands. I seem to follow the Cook Islands more than I do almost any other South Pacific location. Part of it was the Miss Cook Islands deal including the beautiful Engara Gosselin. Having said this... I wish I knew much more about the Cook Islands. So this list of places will be very minimal. In fact, only one place is featured:
^ from: magicreef.co.nz - an aerial view of Avarua.
The capital of the Cook Islands (and largest city) is the lovely city of Avarua on the island of Rarotonga. I know it as the hometown of Engara Gosselin, Miss Cook Islands 2009 winner.
--- Guam --- I know only one city in Guam, and here it is:
Hagåtña, Guam.
From various pictures that I've seen, Hagatna is the only city in Guam I've heard of. It is a lovely city from what I've seen in pictures and in video.
I've done a little reading lately on other locations in the Northern Mariana Islands. However, only Saipan immediately comes to mind. It's the only location among the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) that I know of. It's a great place Saipan is.
I do wish I knew more about the other two locations- Tinian and Rota, but Saipan is a lovely place.
--- Samoa and American Samoa --- I am combining the two Samoas for this section. Stop me if you've read this before- I wish I knew more about these places. There would be one place I'd probably want to visit if I visited either Samoa or American Samoa.
(NOTE: That should be an official site, but when I prepared this blog entry, the site was being rebuilt. So be sure to check into this site if you want to learn more about Pago Pago.)
Pago Pago is the capital of American Samoa. My heart went out to the people of Samoa, American Samoa, and Niue after these locations were rocked last year by a vicious earthquake. Pago Pago still remains a lovely location in American Samoa.
--- New Caledonia --- Here's the only city I know in the French Territory of New Caledonia:
Nouméa is the lovely capital city of New Caledonia. The city has some lovely buildings. It is a great-looking city along with many of the surrounding As I learned from Wikipedia, Nouméa is Sister Cities with Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia; and Nice, France.
--- Individual Islands --- These are locations that I don't know any major cities for. Instead, I just put them out there to show my admiration of these places.
While Santa Claus doesn't make his Summer home at Christmas Island, the Australian territory of Christmas Island seems very fascinating. A YouTube video I saw shown off the MANY Christmas Island red crabs that occupy Christmas Island. I'm not any kind of natural adventurer (I'm more of a city boy), so I'd be fearful of these red crabs. On a more pleasant note, the island is home to a cute bird known as the Brown Bobby. So I would say that Christmas Island is a natural wonder.
There is nothing I know about the Solomon Islands. When I saw a YouTube video courtesy of Sunrise on 7's YouTube channel (which is like the Australian equivalent of Good Morning America here in the States), I heard of struggling health system in the Solomon Islands. A 2009 report by Olympic swimmer Stephanie Rice talked about how the Solomon Islands has just one doctor per every 30,000 people living on the Solomon Islands. Basic things like immunization shots are tough to come by, and not every child gets to have this shot. The Solomon Islands are not a developed nation, so it's not like they have lots of cars and a massive highway system to go around on. One woman even walked for two hours to reach a hospital, then wait a bit longer through the searing heat to give her children the needed vaccinations for her children. If anyone is reading my blog from the Solomon Islands, my hopes are with everyone to help improve the health care system in the Solomon Islands so children of the Solomon Islands can live happier and healthier. Apart from this, the Solomon Islands boasts some beautiful tropical scenery. It is a lovely location with some lovely views.
I hear so much about all the phosphate mining that goes on in Nauru. It would just be incredibly interesting to see what it would be like to actually visit Nauru.
My knowledge of Palau is extremely poor. I was using Google Earth to find Palau, and it's (try to follow me here) some distance east of the southeasternmost portion of the Philippines. I looked up Koror in Palau and think it's a lovely place. That's probably the place I'd most want to visit if I visited Palau.
Vanuatu is a chain of about 80 islands of volcanic origin. I've heard of Vanuatu from "Survivor: Vanuatu" and "Exiled." I've never seen a single installment of Survivor. Exiled was the spinoff show from "My Super Sweet Sixteen." As for the islands themselves, what can I say- paradise! Surely worth visiting if I actually want to visit Vanuatu.
Okay. I wouldn't know whether to feel glad to arrive in Norfolk Island, or be haunted by this island's brutal past. Regardless, Norfolk Island is a very beautiful place. It has a beautiful blend of South Pacific and Europe in this lone island.
The only place I've heard of in Kiribati is Tarawa, the capital of Kiribati. I've seen a few pictures and thought Tarawa is a nice place. I think Kiribati has one of the coolest-looking flags of any nation.
And finally...
--- Hawaii --- I still regard Hawaii as a lovely place. The game "Test Drive Unlimited" opened me up to and exposed Oahu (or O'ahu) Island to me. A friend of mine online who opened me up to Hawaiian music on Myspace is from Hawaii's Oahu island.
Honolulu, Hawaii.
Honolulu is the capital and largest city in Hawaii. It is also the only city I know best in Hawaii. This city has a spectacular mix of downtown buildings and scenic mountains. It is a most incredible sight. I know this city as the home of Aloha Stadium (where the [Rainbow] Warriors of the University of Hawaii-Manoa plays football. It is also the home of NCAA Division 2 non-football school (Hawaii-Manoa is about the only NCAA football school in Hawaii) Chaminade University-Honolulu, home of the Chaminade Silverswords. Honolulu can also a somber place because of the Pearl Harbor kamikaze attacks on the USS Arizona back in 1941 by the Japanese imperial forces. The USS Arizona Memorial is a memorial site remembering the thousands of U.S. sailors who died from the kamikaze attacks. It would be a surreal feeling to visit this site considering what happened in 1941, but it's very much a part of visiting Honolulu as almost any attraction this city has to offer.
Waianae, Hawaii.
The pictures of Waianae are scenic and beautiful. This area is nicely known for the Waianae Range which adds to the city's beauty. Waianae is on the western coastline of O'ahu Island.
Kona District, Hawaii
Just to show that I'm trying to learn about other places, the Kona District of Hawaii island (or "the big island") is well known for the Kona Ironman Triathlon. The location itself is lovely from what I've seen in pictures.
--- If You Are From Any of the Cities or Countries Mentioned... ---
I want to offer my support of you all and say that you all come from some wonderful locations. If I didn't mention your hometown or home country in the South Pacific, I probably don't know much about it to comment on it. Remember that this blog entry is about places I'd want to visit if I were traveling to the South Pacific, so I didn't name every last place and city imaginable. Most of the cities I've come across were as a result of Google Image searches and Google Earth usage. I appreciate all of my readers around the world.
Special Request for my Readers/Viewers...
Through my recent attempts to get blog hits from the South Pacific, I have been very pleased that I've gotten so much in the way of blog hits from the South Pacific. I want to get as much support and traffic from around the world as a blogger. These efforts to do so have been done carefully and with a vision to the future. I try to make quality content for everyone who visits. You spend time online and in cyberspace, so why not visit quality material from casually professional websites like my blog? I appreciate the support of South Pacific folk for visiting my blog. By all means... if you love what you've read from my blog, I want you to please show me your support- post comments, subscribe to my blog, share my blog with friends, join my Facebook fan page, friend me on Facebook, check out my YouTube channel... just let me know that my material means something to you and that you enjoyed your reading of my material. Don't just read and leave. If you love my content, share your respect of my work by communicating with me. I would appreciate it and know that my work means something to everyone who visits John's Blog Space.
Last Edit: April 4, 2011 - included sections Palau and Kiribati.
The South Pacific and its people have spurred my recent geographical interest. I sometimes hear so much of the South Pacific that I wish I knew more about it. I've been watching YouTube videos and looking up Wikipedia to learn more about various nations and islands in the South Pacific. This blog entry is more like an "educate me" kind of blog entry. I know I mentioned Oceania (which also includes Australia and New Zealand- two of my most popular countries that visit my blog), but I will mostly make notion to the various South Pacific islands.
Allow me to begin with a picture and a quote.
^ from: greenrightnow.com - "The vast Pacific... each island like a distant star, each archipelago like a galaxy." -Paul Theroux
I don't know my expressions, but to all of my South Pacific folk, I say "talofa!" for Samoan folk, "hafa adai!" for Chamorro folk, ,"kia orana!" to my Cook Islands folk, or whatever "hello!" in your native speak is.
--- South Pacific: Generating Interest ---
I guess here is where I share WHY and HOW I've gotten interested into the South Pacific lately. I will set up the scene and then get to the main point.
Setting up the Main Story.
As a person who considers Geography as his strongest Social Science, I've always had an abounding interest to learn more about the world we live in. My intrigue to learn more about various other nations began when I started to meet more people from around the world. I always want to meet more people. Part of meeting new people, however, involves learning more about the places people come from and any cultures expressed. I can say that I've been blessed to meet many people from many parts of the world.
When I started making YouTube videos and going into blogging, that's when I had a vision to try to get international appeal. You see, I find greater satisfaction knowing that someone from one side of the world can appreciate my work as much as anyone here in the United States. That's why I try to make my work appeal to multiple audiences the world over. I want the world to appreciate and share my work. And unlike most American peoples' perception of "the world" as the United States, Canada, Mexico, and a few European (mostly western European) nations, I strive to be successful and gain attention from various international audiences.
I entered blogging and wanted to track the traffic I get from around the world. To help me in this (even before Blogger/Blogspot had its own stat tracker), I had installed FEEDJIT (hover over the FEEDJIT link for more information about FEEDJIT). Once I learn that I get traffic from certain nations that visit, I become happy and share it with my Facebook friends and fans. That especially holds true for nations that I get traffic from for the first time. As of this blog post, the most recent nation to visit my blog for the first time is the African nation of Malawi. Sometimes in FEEDJIT reports, I see places that don't have flags featured (locations are usually noted by flags of the nations represented. Some places don't get listed at all. These are places like Guadeloupe, the Northern Mariana Islands, and New Caledonia among others. Still, it means that my blog is getting international traffic.
Getting international traffic has actually fueled my interest to learn more about places that I've never heard of or seen before. Because of this, I started learning more about places. The most common things I do are look up pictures of certain locations and listen to national anthems of countries. When I started thinking about getting more international traffic, I began to wonder who all visits my material and from where. One time on YouTube, one of my most-viewed locations for one of my videos was Reunion Island out in the western Indian Ocean not far from Mauritius. It made me wonder just how big of a world we live in- especially considering there are some countries most people can't even find on a map. There are even countries you hear of, but can't find on a map if asked to do so. FEEDJIT has helped me to understand where certain places are in the world so I can learn more about them. I wonder if there are more places I can perhaps draw some traffic to. This led me to wonder if I could get a little more support from other nations, namely in a seldom-visited part of the world- the South Pacific.
This, then, sets up the main point of this section...
Discovering the South Pacific.
One part of the world I haven't been fortunate enough to introduce myself to or meet people from is the South Pacific. And here, I mean people in person. I once did a video expressing my thoughts and prayers to people affected from a 7.9 earthquake last year that impacted Samoa, American Samoa, and Tonga among other nations. Some people who saw my video on YouTube were Samoan. I was able to learn a little Samoan from some of the YouTube commenter. I learned "talofa" from some people. I'm not sure what it meant when I first read it, but I thought it meant "thank you." But as I learned on Wikipedia, it's a salute or greeting to you.
Of the many kinds of people I've gotten to know people from, South Pacific folk have been people I've been unable to come across with or communicate with. To educate myself somewhat on the South Pacific and its people, I've started watching YouTube videos. I got to learn about many places and many Pacific Islander people. I learned about Samoan, Marshallese, Polynesian, Micronesian, Fijian, and various other peoples. I have just been educating myself on these lands and these people just to learn more about them. I once wanted to learn more about Nauru because I just simply don't know about Nauru. I then learned in YouTube videos about how much phosphate mining goes on in Nauru. Then, my education continued with various other South Pacific locales.
I became interested then in the Marshall Islands. I even got to be introduced to Marshallese people through YouTube videos. I may have even heard a song sung beautifully in Marshallese. The education continued by learning a little more about places like Tuvalu, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, New Caledonia, Niue, Norfolk Island, and the Pitcairn Islands among others.
As a sports fan, I even tried to find some sporting videos featuring these locales. The only Pacific Island folk I hear of are mostly either wrestlers or gridiron football players. Wrestlers Umaga, Rikishi, and Samoa Joe come to mind for me quickly. Then too, don't forget The Wild Samoans of the WWE as well as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The only other South Pacific athlete I know of best is the outstanding Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Then too, a lot of American colleges and universities that have gridiron football programs have some Pacific Islander folk, mostly from Samoa, American Samoa, or Polynesia. Maybe the only Pacific Islander quarterback I've heard of is (and I had to search his name to spell it correctly) is a quarterback for the United States Naval Academy named Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada from Hawaii. The University of Hawaii-Manoa usually has a lot of Pacific Island folk playing football for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors The only other sport I know best in the South Pacific is rugby, especially the Fijian rugby team. It's been so long since I've seen rugby on TV, but Fiji is quite talented in rugby football.
If Geography teaches you anything, there are lots of places people don't know about. That includes islands inhabited by humans and those not inhabited by humans.
South Pacific Nations That Visited My Blogs.
I don't usually get South Pacific or Oceania blog hits, unless they are from Australia and New Zealand (which are two of my most-visited nations). Maybe the most frequent blog hits from a South Pacific island nation come from Fiji. I even learned I got a blog hit from Vanuatu as I mentioned in my "Issues Regarding 'My Super Sweet 16,'" whereas a girl named Sierra from the popular MTV reality TV series was "exiled" to Vanuatu to learn the merits of hard work. While I don't watch "Survivor," Survivor did have a season in Vanuatu.
These are the only nations I've noted that visited either or both of my blogs (as of the date of this blog's posting): * Fiji * Vanuatu * Guam * Northern Mariana Islands * New Caledonia * Samoa
I do value all of my blog visitors from all over the world. Many South Pacific locales, however, are places I'd like to know more about and meet more people from. All I know about most of these places is that they are very popular tourist destinations.
--- South Pacific: Fascinations ---
It would be pointless to mention these places and not mention what has fascinated me about each locale. So this is my chance to share what places I've been fascinated with and why. Please help educate me on places I may not know about by posting comments to this blog entry. I won't mention all locations, but I'll highlight on a number of South Pacific nations. You may see "I've learned" a lot in these sections because I'm trying to educate myself on this part of the world. Maybe you can help if you enjoy this blog entry.
NOTE: Before you attack me, please understand that I am not as educated as much as I would like to in regards to the part of the world I'm mentioning. So refrain from attacking me if I mention something that's inaccurate or wrong. Part of my intrigue to make this blog entry is to learn more about this part of the world. Be considerate of this if you plan on getting angry with me by posting hateful comments. I apologize if anything is inaccurate or wrong.
If you see a heading with a hyperlink, you can click on it to visit a website (usually a tourism site) to learn [much] more on each location.
Polynesia.
I wish I knew a lot more about Polynesia (besides the beautiful ladies of Polynesia :D). I learned from Wikipedia that Polynesia includes Hawaii and New Zealand. It even includes Chile's Easter Island. So it's very safe to say that a vast majority of the locations I've mentioned are part of Polynesia. Again, I don't know all there is about Polynesia, but at least I'm trying.
I am very much captivated with the beauty of Hawaii. I do wish I know more about Hawaii than "aloha" and the beautiful city of Honolulu. Maybe what got me the most exposure to Hawaii was "Test Drive Unlimited." That game took you all around the Hawaiian island of Oahu while racing some sweet machines. If I really wanted to study Hawaii, I'd want to know more about some of the history of Hawaii as well as maybe a few more Hawaiian terms and expressions. Apart from that, I mostly know of the University of Hawaii-Manoa, home of the Rainbow Warriors (or just the Warriors in football). Most of the other colleges are non-football schools and mostly NCAA Division 2 schools. The most famous of them is Chaminade University, a religious school that scored one of the most improbable upsets in college basketball history, defeating (then) #1 Virginia 77-72 in 1982. Other schools I know of are the Seasiders of BYU-Hawaii, the Sea Warriors of Hawaii Pacific University, and the Hawaii-Hilo Vulcans. I wish I knew more about the other islands, including the Big Island of Hawaii/Hawai'i.
If you're a fan of the Dragon Ball series, you know of the Kamehameha energy attack. Well... the name Kamehameha originates from the Kamehameha royal family that has ruled Hawaii in its history. The first, Kamehameha I (or Kamehameha the Great) ruled between circa 1782 up to May 8, 1819. Four more Kamehameha kings would rule Hawaii with the last one being Kamehameha V (ruled between Nov. 30, 1863 to Dec. 11, 1872).
One thing I didn't know about Hawaii is that even though it's one of the 50 United States (not to mention the youngest state), Hawaii has its own anthem called Hawai'i Pono'i (Hawaii's/Hawai'i's Own). It was the national anthem of Hawaii back when it was known as the Territory of Hawaii and is still the state song of Hawai'i today.
I prepared a blog entry regarding a side of Hawaii most people don't know about- one apart from the tropical paradise most know Hawaii as. To read my blog post from a provocative set of videos, please read "The Other Hawaii" here on John's Blog Space.
French Polynesia.
^ from: janeresture.com - Papeete, Tahiti. It is the largest island of French Polynesia.
The only nation within French Polynesia I know most of is Tahiti. The only city I know of best here is Papeete. That's really all I know about French Polynesia, though I know there is much more than just Tahiti. As a Gran Turismo gamer, it was smart that while French locales weren't included in GT2, it was smart (and also unusual) that Tahiti was included for Gran Turismo games since GT2. Papeete is a lovely city from what I've seen in pictures. And really, all I know of French Polynesia is Tahiti, and I don't know a whole lot about Tahiti to say I'm any pro on it.
^ from: nomad4ever.com - Suva, Fiji- the capital of Fiji. I've only heard of Suva (the capital) and Nadi. Nadi was one of a few cities you could access in Oceania from the game "Aerobiz Supersonic," though Nadi is spelled as "Nandi," and I think it's supposed to be "Nadi." I later learned that Nadi is where Fiji's international airport is located. I know little about Suva except that it's where the Fiji national rugby team plays their rugby football.
In the western South Pacific to the east of the southeastern Philippines lies the Republic of Palau. Its flag is similar to the flag of Bangladesh, only that the outside is sky blue with a yellow disc (as opposed to the dark green flag with a red disc of Bangladesh's flag). I wish I knew a lot more about Palau and its people to professionally make mention of Palau in this blog post. Supposedly, there are over 250 individual islands that make up Palau.
There is a Blogger/Blogspot blog you can visit for more insight on Palau. Check out visit-palau.blogspot.com today!
I've gotten blog hits from Guam before, but I know little else about Guam as far as people and as far as the landscape. I certainly know it as a territory of the United States. It is a very beautiful place.
I only know of Saipan with the Northern Mariana Islands for this United States territory. The Northern Mariana Islands are located hundreds of miles east northeast of the Philippines.
(French-only link) ^ from: smh.com.au - Brooding Hen rock at Baie de Hienghene in New Caledonia.
Except for hearing of Nouméa, I know very little else about New Caledonia. In "Aerobiz Supersonic," Nouméa is one of the different cities you can link to in the Oceania region. Its emblem is a Nautilus, a living-fossil species of marine animals.
^ from: holidayforeveryday.com - Nauru from above.
Nauru is a very interesting island. I don't know much about it except for Nauru being huge in phosphate mining. I even heard of how Nauru once had a true Australian Rules Football team... until some of the players became too violent. It still remains the island's most popular sport, but I learned that only players with clean records could play. And I'm like... wow.
^ from: davidavery.wordpress.com - Despite the beauty of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, many (sadly) know these islands as a site for nuclear weapon testing decades ago after World War II.
Sadly, I hate how we most remember certain places for disastrous incidents. Unfortunately, that's how most people know of the Marshall Islands and the nuclear weapon testing back in the 1940s and 1950s. Perhaps the most popular portion of the Marshall Islands is the Bikini Atoll. Of course, where do you think the name "bikini" came from? The island became popular with the atomic bomb tests there along with the swimsuit that would eventually be called the bikini back in 1946. The Bikini Atoll can be found on the northeasternmost portion of the Marshall Islands. Because of the nuclear radiation, Marshallese people have been linked to having various birth defects as well as having varying forms of cancer.
Far to the west side of the International Date Line and along the Equator, Kiribati is a South Pacific island nation. Its flag is mostly red with a big golden sun, a golden seagull (or eagle?), and with blue with white waves. The only thing I know about Kiribati is that Tarawa is its capital. Kiribati was formerly known as the Gilbert Islands, and you hear of Gilbertese people here. Gilbertese is spoken by a vast majority of people in Kiribati.
^ from: ilkerugur.wordpress.com - Samoa- beautiful waters, sandy beaches, and deep blue skies.
^ from: newspapers24.com - Ofu Island in American Samoa.
I have combined both locations for this section. I hear so much about Samoa and American Samoa, mostly in sports. But like most other locales mentioned in this blog entry, I wish I knew much more about these locations and the people. My only link to these two places is usually in American sports. I usually hear of gridiron football players from Samoa or American Samoa. It's the only other place I know of gridiron football players besides Polynesia. American Samoa is the southernmost territory of the United States in the world. Its capital is Pago Pago.
One thing I have learned is that both Samoa and American Samoa are just east of the International Date Line.
^ from: solarpowerninja.com - Tuvalu is mostly atolls and reef islands.
The name I can remember. Finding it on a map, however, is challenging for me, though I know it is a South Pacific nation. I mostly know Tuvalu as a series of atolls and reef islands in the South Pacific. This island nation is very suspect to flooding as the highest point of Tuvalu is 4.5 meters above sea level. Climate change could further impact this island nation with rises in saltwater during high tide, affecting crops. Interestingly enough, Tuvalu is working with NGO e8 and the Japanese government to make Tuvalu the world's only solar-powered nation by 2020.
^ from: theage.com.au - The Rarotongan Beach Resort in the Rarotonga. Rarotonga can be found in the southern chain of the Cook Islands.
The Cook Islands are (as I learned in a YouTube video) a chain of 15 individual islands. This island chain is a free association with New Zealand. The pictures I've seen of the Cook Islands are nothing short of spectacular. Totally breathtaking stuff. If you think the Cook Islands are beautiful, you should see the beautiful women of the Cook Islands. Before coming up with this blog entry, I've learned of one young lady who is as beautiful as her native Cook Islands. A lovely singer named Engara Gosselin is the winner of the 2009 Miss Cook Islands competition. Here is some beautiful music from this beautiful young lady. This is "My Rarotonga" by the winner of Miss Cook Islands 2009, Engara Gosselin:
Here is another song of hers, called "Ararau Enua":
Engara Gosselin won the 2009 Miss Cook Islands Pageant. She won the 2009 competition beating out the likes of Joyana Meyer, Poutau Anthony, Uirangi Bishop, Belinda Nganu, Titifa Kae, and Josephine Turepu. Engara Gosselin is beautiful, but so are Joyana Meyer, Poutau Anthony, and Belinda Apakuranganu.
There used to be a student in one of my elementary school classes named Tonga. I doubt she was from the Kingdom of Tonga, however. I REALLY don't know anything about Tonga. What I've seen in pictures, however, is nothing short of incredible. The Kingdom of Tonga consists of over 176 islands. Its capital is Nuku?alofa.
^ from: tripadvisor.com - Norfolk Island is a blend of Polynesia and Europe. Despite its beauty, it has a surreal and violent past, especially stemming from the middle and late 18th Century.
The Australian external territory of Norfolk Island is a beautiful tropical island, but is historically known as a place for being a place where convicts were locked up. Indigenous to Norfolk Island are its pine trees. A pine tree is even part of the island's flag. The island is very lovely with lovely green grass and some lovely-looking buildings. The capital city of Norfolk Island is Kingston. People speak English and Norfuk, but from what I saw in a YouTube video, English is only spoken to visitors. I even heard swearing is done in English as there are no Norfuk swearing words. I've learned that the history of Norfolk Island is usually entwined with it being a place to lock up convicts starting from in the 1770s. It is a very unique place that is a lovely blend of a tropical paradise as well as a South Pacific taste of Europe. If I wanted to study more about Norfolk island, I'd want to know more about its history as being a place for locking up convicts centuries ago as well as British involvement. The biggest holiday is Bounty Day, celebrated annually on June 8th to mark the Pitcairn Islanders' arrival to Norfolk Island in 1856. It is pretty surreal how a lovely location like Norfolk Island once served as a place for jailing vicious convicts centuries ago.
^ from: geekwithlaptop.com - Pitcairn Island, one of four different islands that comprise the Pitcairn Islands.
The British overseas territory known as the Pitcairn Islands has a very small population. I think I learned that the islands have a population of 50 people. It is VERY far away from most of the other islands and nations mentioned. The Pitcairn Islands are even more remote than most other Polynesian nations! WAY deep in the South Pacific. I read the Pitcairn Islands consist of four islands, and it used to be a port for bounty mutineers. It is one of the most remote British territories in the world other than Tristan da Cunha in the southern Atlantic.
Easter Island (or Rapa Nui).
^ from: greencraft.co.uk - Easter Island and its world-famous Moai (or mo'ai).
Finally, I will feature Easter Island. The only thing I know about the Polynesian island politically governed by Chile is that the island is home to Rapa Nui National Park, vastly known for for those massive statues called Moai (or mo'ai). I learned through Wikipedia that the flag of Easter Island features a red reimiro, (taken from Wikipedia) a decorative crescent-shaped pectoral ornament shaped like a Polynesian canoe.
Needless to say, many of these locations are quite interesting in the South Pacific. There are many more places I haven't mentioned, but those are some of the notable ones for me. I would like to learn more about places like Palau, Kiribati, Wake Island, Tokelau, Tonga, and places like that.
--- South Pacific: Paradise for Visitors, Home for Natives? ---
While it is perfectly fine to become awed and intrigued by these nations as being tourist attractions, this is home for many natives of these nations. Most of us don't really understand what living on these islands is like. Not many of us are aware of the history of these places. I guess one reason why I enjoy geography is because it makes you appreciate the finer aspects for many places we grow to accept as tourist hot spots. Part of understanding our world is in learning about what makes every country and culture unique and different. That's why we have certain cultural events (at least here in the United States) where we have natives of other nations educate us on their culture.
I've seen videos of certain Polynesian nations dancing. Some people on YouTube see it as sensual or sexy, but these are native and tribal dances of these native lands.
--- Environmental Concerns of the South Pacific ---
(ADDED: Oct. 4, 2010) While these islands mentioned are beautiful places, climate change and global warming are issues that seriously impact various island nations the world over. Some of these islands are somewhat above sea level. So in the case that very high tides or severe floods impact these locations, these locations may absolutely struggle to get everything back under control. Part of the reason why these islands are so loved is because many of these locations haven't been soiled by industrialization or Westernization. These are serene tropical paradises, and in so, I've read so much on increasing concern for these island nations to remain for some time even with a changing climate and with global warming.
For those of you who have visited my blog entry called "Males Wearing Feminine Fashions," you may have read that sarongs/pareos are very acceptable for males to wear. Sarongs/Pareos are very acceptable garments for both males and females to wear. Longer sarongs make for nice dresses and even blouses. I don't know much about traditional fashions for most South Pacific men. Maybe what I love most about South Pacific fashions for women are seeing flowers in women's hair. Read more about flowers in hair by going to my blog entry called "Flowers in Hair." I don't know my flowers to judge what flowers look best in the hair of I've seen some beautiful dresses that these ladies wear. These are either sleeveless dresses or off-shoulder dresses I've seen.
--- If Any Pacific Islanders Are Reading This... ---
What would I tell my Pacific Island readers? I'd like to welcome all of you to my blog. I wish I can learn more about your native lands (if from any of the various Pacific Island nations mentioned in this blog entry). Thanks so much for reading. I hope you've enjoyed my content here. If you can, I wouldn't mind being better educated on the aforementioned places in this blog entry.
I am working in either making a blog post or adding more material to highlight more on this section. You can read more of my blog posts of and related to Pacific Islanders and of Pacific Islands by searching for .
Here are Facebook Fan Pages of some of the many locations featured in this blog entry. If you have Facebook, make sure to Become a Fan (or "Like") these fan pages for more...
Sometimes, blog entries lead to more blog entries. I may concentrate a few more blog entries on the South Pacific or any other related topics. I may edit contents of this blog entry to allow for more content in the future (or even to change pictures in case there's a picture I'll be disallowed to use). Meanwhile... thank you for reading!
